OOIR: Observatory of International Research

Papers

(The TQCC of Sports Medicine is 19. The table below lists those papers that are above that threshold based on CrossRef citation counts [max. 250 papers]. The publications cover those that have been published in the past four years, i.e., from 2020-11-01 to 2024-11-01.)

Article	Citations
Methodological Considerations for Studies in Sport and Exercise Science with Women as Participants: A Working Guide for Standards of Practice for Research on Women	269
Is Physical Activity Associated with Less Depression and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Rapid Systematic Review	172
Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Immune System, Vaccination and Risk of Community-Acquired Infectious Disease in the General Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	164
Through the Looking Glass: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Evidence, Providing New Insight for Motor Competence and Health	128
Climate Change, Physical Activity and Sport: A Systematic Review	110
An Update on Secular Trends in Physical Fitness of Children and Adolescents from 1972 to 2015: A Systematic Review	99
Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage	90
Neuromuscular Function of the Knee Joint Following Knee Injuries: Does It Ever Get Back to Normal? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses	88
The Natural History of Sport-Related Concussion in Collegiate Athletes: Findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium	82
Muscle Glycogen Metabolism and High-Intensity Exercise Performance: A Narrative Review	81
Training During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices of 12,526 Athletes from 142 Countries and Six Continents	77
The Connection Between Physical Exercise and Gut Microbiota: Implications for Competitive Sports Athletes	77
The Validity and Reliability of Commercially Available Resistance Training Monitoring Devices: A Systematic Review	73
Training Load and Injury: Causal Pathways and Future Directions	70
Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): Shared Pathways, Symptoms and Complexities	69
Mental Fatigue and Sport-Specific Psychomotor Performance: A Systematic Review	68
Energetics and Biomechanics of Running Footwear with Increased Longitudinal Bending Stiffness: A Narrative Review	67
The Anabolic Response to Plant-Based Protein Ingestion	64
High-Protein Plant-Based Diet Versus a Protein-Matched Omnivorous Diet to Support Resistance Training Adaptations: A Comparison Between Habitual Vegans and Omnivores	63
Fatigue and Human Performance: An Updated Framework	63
Physiological Characteristics of Female Soccer Players and Health and Performance Considerations: A Narrative Review	61
Frailty and Physical Fitness in Elderly People: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	61
Minimal-Dose Resistance Training for Improving Muscle Mass, Strength, and Function: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Practical Considerations	61
Can High-Intensity Interval Training Promote Skeletal Muscle Anabolism?	59
The Effects of Exercise Interventions on Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	56

Identification of Non-Invasive Exercise Thresholds: Methods, Strategies, and an Online App	55
Do Sex Differences in Physiology Confer a Female Advantage in Ultra-Endurance Sport?	54
Reactive Strength Index and its Associations with Measures of Physical and Sports Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	54
Recent Improvements in Marathon Run Times Are Likely Technological, Not Physiological	53
Development of a Revised Conceptual Framework of Physical Training for Use in Research and Practice	53
Training for Muscular Strength: Methods for Monitoring and Adjusting Training Intensity	52
No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review	52
Compatibility of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training for Skeletal Muscle Size and Function: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	52
Measuring Physical Demands in Basketball: An Explorative Systematic Review of Practices	51
Sex Differences in Adaptations in Muscle Strength and Size Following Resistance Training in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	50
Sex Differences in Endurance Running	50
Running-Related Biomechanical Risk Factors for Overuse Injuries in Distance Runners: A Systematic Review Considering Injury Specificity and the Potentials for Future Research	50
Sex-Specific Differences in Running Injuries: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression	50
Anaerobic Speed/Power Reserve and Sport Performance: Scientific Basis, Current Applications and Future Directions	50
The Importance of ‘Durability’ in the Physiological Profiling of Endurance Athletes	49
Injury Profile in Women’s Football: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	49
Non-contact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Epidemiology in Team-Ball Sports: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis by Sex, Age, Sport, Participation Level, and Exposure Type	49
Implementing Ultrasound Imaging for the Assessment of Muscle and Tendon Properties in Elite Sports: Practical Aspects, Methodological Considerations and Future Directions	48
Doping Prevalence in Competitive Sport: Evidence Synthesis with “Best Practice” Recommendations and Reporting Guidelines from the WADA Working Group on Doping Prevalence	47
Wearables for Running Gait Analysis: A Systematic Review	47
Effects of Caffeine on Resistance Exercise: A Review of Recent Research	47
The Validity and Reliability of Wearable Microtechnology for Intermittent Team Sports: A Systematic Review	46
Temporal Trends in the Standing Broad Jump Performance of 10,940,801 Children and Adolescents Between 1960 and 2017	46
A Narrative Review of the Current State of Extended Reality Technology and How it can be Utilised in Sport	45
Daily Step Count and All-Cause Mortality: A Dose–Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies	45
COVID-19 Lockdowns: A Worldwide Survey of Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Quality in 3911 Athletes from 49 Countries, with Data-Driven Recommendations	44
Youth Athlete Development and Nutrition	44
Managing Travel Fatigue and Jet Lag in Athletes: A Review and Consensus Statement	43
Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness Post-COVID-19: A Narrative Review	43
Healthier Minds in Fitter Bodies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association between Physical Fitness and Mental Health in Youth	43
Data-Driven Risk Classification of Concussion Rates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	42
Potential Long-Term Health Problems Associated with Ultra-Endurance Running: A Narrative Review	42
Metabolomics in Exercise and Sports: A Systematic Review	42
The Effect of Resistance Training in Healthy Adults on Body Fat Percentage, Fat Mass and Visceral Fat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	42
Deceleration Training in Team Sports: Another Potential ‘Vaccine’ for Sports-Related Injury?	41
Effects of Maternal Exercise During Pregnancy on Perinatal Growth and Childhood Obesity Outcomes: A Meta-analysis and Meta-regression	41
The Influence of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy Responses: A Review	40
Biomechanical Determinants of Performance and Injury Risk During Cutting: A Performance-Injury Conflict?	40
Effects of Acute Sleep Loss on Physical Performance: A Systematic and Meta-Analytical Review	40
The Effects of Exercise on Indirect Markers of Gut Damage and Permeability: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	39
Effects of Spaceflight on Musculoskeletal Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Considerations for Interplanetary Travel	39
Mechanisms of Estrogen Influence on Skeletal Muscle: Mass, Regeneration, and Mitochondrial Function	38
Contralateral Effects of Unilateral Strength and Skill Training: Modified Delphi Consensus to Establish Key Aspects of Cross-Education	38
Benefits of Daytime Napping Opportunity on Physical and Cognitive Performances in Physically Active Participants: A Systematic Review	38
Interference Phenomenon with Concurrent Strength and High-Intensity Interval Training-Based Aerobic Training: An Updated Model	38
Recommendations and Nutritional Considerations for Female Athletes: Health and Performance	38
Muscle Force Contributions to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Loading	37
Exercise and Neuropathy: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	37
Development of Maximal Dynamic Strength During Concurrent Resistance and Endurance Training in Untrained, Moderately Trained, and Trained Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	37
The Effectiveness of Physical Literacy Interventions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	36

Crossing the Golden Training Divide: The Science and Practice of Training World-Class 800- and 1500-m Runners	36
Non-local Acute Passive Stretching Effects on Range of Motion in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	36
Foam Rolling Training Effects on Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	35
Effects of Low Energy Availability on Bone Health in Endurance Athletes and High-Impact Exercise as A Potential Countermeasure: A Narrative Review	35
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Common Errors in Meta-Analyses and Meta-Regressions in Strength & Conditioning Research	35
Comparison of Weightlifting, Traditional Resistance Training and Plyometrics on Strength, Power and Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	35
Recommendations for Movement Re-training After ACL Reconstruction	34
Effects of Wearing a Mask During Exercise on Physiological and Psychological Outcomes in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	34
What Role Do Chronic Workloads Play in the Acute to Chronic Workload Ratio? Time to Dismiss ACWR and Its Underlying Theory	34
A Perspective on High-Intensity Interval Training for Performance and Health	33
Assessment of Quadriceps Corticomotor and Spinal-Reflexive Excitability in Individuals with a History of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	33
We’re not Superhuman, We’re Human: A Qualitative Description of Elite Athletes’ Experiences of Return to Sport After Childbirth	33
Injuries in Elite Men’s Rugby Union: An Updated (2012–2020) Meta-Analysis of 11,620 Match and Training Injuries	33
Effects of and Response to Mechanical Loading on the Knee	33
How to Tackle Mental Fatigue: A Systematic Review of Potential Countermeasures and Their Underlying Mechanisms	33
Optimal Training Sequences to Develop Lower Body Force, Velocity, Power, and Jump Height: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	32
Talent Development in Sport Requires Athlete Enrichment: Contemporary Insights from a Nonlinear Pedagogy and the Athletic Skills Model	32
Top 10 International Priorities for Physical Fitness Research and Surveillance Among Children and Adolescents: A Twin-Panel Delphi Study	32
Dietary Inorganic Nitrate as an Ergogenic Aid: An Expert Consensus Derived via the Modified Delphi Technique	32
The Influence of Timing of Reporting and Clinic Presentation on Concussion Recovery Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	32
Reliability of Field-Based Fitness Tests in Adults: A Systematic Review	31
Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Performance Requirements of Horizontal Deceleration: A Review with Implications for Random Intermittent Multi-Directional Sports	31
Health Consequences of an Elite Sporting Career: Long-Term Detriment or Long-Term Gain? A Meta-Analysis of 165,000 Former Athletes	31
Epidemiology of Injury and Illness Among Trail Runners: A Systematic Review	31
The Central Mechanisms of Resistance Training and Its Effects on Cognitive Function	30
The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	30
A Systematic Review on Fitness Testing in Adult Male Basketball Players: Tests Adopted, Characteristics Reported and Recommendations for Practice	30
The Training of Short Distance Sprint Performance in Football Code Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	30
Detrimental Effects of the Off-Season in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	30
The Influence of Running on Lower Limb Cartilage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	29
The Effects of Regular Cold-Water Immersion Use on Training-Induced Changes in Strength and Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	29
Evaluating the Accuracy of Using Fixed Ranges of METs to Categorize Exertional Intensity in a Heterogeneous Group of Healthy Individuals: Implications for Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health Outcomes	29
The Effects of Set Structure Manipulation on Chronic Adaptations to Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	28
Within Session Exercise Sequencing During Programming for Complex Training: Historical Perspectives, Terminology, and Training Considerations	28
Kinesiophobia, Knee Self-Efficacy, and Fear Avoidance Beliefs in People with ACL Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	28
Chronic Effects of Altering Resistance Training Set Configurations Using Cluster Sets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	28
A Life History Perspective on Athletes with Low Energy Availability	28
Progressive Resistance Training for Concomitant Increases in Muscle Strength and Bone Mineral Density in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	28
Resistance Training Induces Improvements in Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	27
Predictors of Junior Versus Senior Elite Performance are Opposite: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Participation Patterns	27
Understanding Training Load as Exposure and Dose	27
Primary Periphyseal Stress Injuries in Young Athletes: A Systematic Review	27
An Examination and Critique of Subjective Methods to Determine Exercise Intensity: The Talk Test, Feeling Scale, and Rating of Perceived Exertion	27
Effect of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture on Knee Proprioception Within 2 Years After Conservative and Operative Treatment: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	27
Injury Reduction Programs for Reducing the Incidence of Sport-Related Head and Neck Injuries Including Concussion: A Systematic Review	26
Risk Factors for Contra-Lateral Secondary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	26
Mechanical, Material and Morphological Adaptations of Healthy Lower Limb Tendons to Mechanical Loading: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	26
Effects of Variations in Resistance Training Frequency on Strength Development in Well-Trained Populations and Implications for In-Season Athlete Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	26
Effects of Follicular and Luteal Phase-Based Menstrual Cycle Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Mass	26
New Horizons in Carbohydrate Research and Application for Endurance Athletes	26
Flavonoid Containing Polyphenol Consumption and Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	26
Chronic Effects of Static Stretching Exercises on Muscle Strength and Power in Healthy Individuals Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review with Multi-level Meta-analysis	26
Just How Confident Can We Be in Predicting Sports Injuries? A Systematic Review of the Methodological Conduct and Performance of Existing Musculoskeletal Injury Prediction Models in Sport	26
A Systematic Review of the Different Calculation Methods for Measuring Jump Height During the Countermovement and Drop Jump Tests	26
The Acute and Chronic Effects of Implementing Velocity Loss Thresholds During Resistance Training: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Critical Evaluation of the Literature	25
Longing for a Longitudinal Proxy: Acutely Measured Surface EMG Amplitude is not a Validated Predictor of Muscle Hypertrophy	25
A Critical Systematic Review of Current Evidence on the Effects of Physical Exercise on Whole/Regional Grey Matter Brain Volume in Populations at Risk of Neurodegeneration	25
The Effects of Acute Exposure to Prolonged Sitting, with and Without Interruption, on Peripheral Blood Pressure Among Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	25
Recommendations for Hamstring Function Recovery After ACL Reconstruction	25
Menstrual Cycle: The Importance of Both the Phases and the Transitions Between Phases on Training and Performance	25
Associations Between Esports Participation and Health: A Scoping Review	25
Personalized, Evidence-Informed Training Plans and Exercise Prescriptions for Performance, Fitness and Health	25
Exogenous Ketone Supplements in Athletic Contexts: Past, Present, and Future	25
Seasonal Heat Acclimatisation in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review	25
Hamstrings Neuromuscular Function After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	25
The Football Association Injury and Illness Surveillance Study: The Incidence, Burden and Severity of Injuries and Illness in Men’s and Women’s International Football	24
Does a Hypertrophying Muscle Fibre Reprogramme its Metabolism Similar to a Cancer Cell?	24
Accuracy in Predicting Repetitions to Task Failure in Resistance Exercise: A Scoping Review and Exploratory Meta-analysis	24
Effects of Plyometric Jump Training on Repeated Sprint Ability in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	24
Lower Limb Muscle Size after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	24
Can We Quantify the Benefits of “Super Spikes” in Track Running?	24
Return to Sports: A Risky Business? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Risk Factors for Graft Rupture Following ACL Reconstruction	23
Health-Related Criterion-Referenced Cut-Points for Musculoskeletal Fitness Among Youth: A Systematic Review	23
Non-local Muscle Fatigue Effects on Muscle Strength, Power, and Endurance in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	23
Dose-Dependent Effect of Supervised Aerobic Exercise on HbA1c in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials	23
Are Landing Patterns in Jumping Athletes Associated with Patellar Tendinopathy? A Systematic Review with Evidence Gap Map and Meta-analysis	23
The Iliotibial Band: A Complex Structure with Versatile Functions	23
Does Site Matter? Impact of Inertial Measurement Unit Placement on the Validity and Reliability of Stride Variables During Running: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	22
Putting the Squeeze on Compression Garments: Current Evidence and Recommendations for Future Research: A Systematic Scoping Review	22
Is Pre-season Eccentric Strength Testing During the Nordic Hamstring Exercise Associated with Future Hamstring Strain Injury? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	22

Muscular Fitness and Cardiometabolic Variables in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review	22
Effects of Exercise Training on Anabolic and Catabolic Hormones with Advanced Age: A Systematic Review	22
Ghrelin Response to Acute and Chronic Exercise: Insights and Implications from a Systematic Review of the Literature	22
Association Between Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Physical Fitness and Glycated Hemoglobin in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	22
Black Box Prediction Methods in Sports Medicine Deserve a Red Card for Reckless Practice: A Change of Tactics is Needed to Advance Athlete Care	22
Sensitivity and Specificity of Computer-Based Neurocognitive Tests in Sport-Related Concussion: Findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium	22
Effect of Interval Training on the Factors Influencing Maximal Oxygen Consumption: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	22
The Oxygen Uptake Plateau—A Critical Review of the Frequently Misunderstood Phenomenon	22
Risk Factors for Lower Limb Injury in Female Team Field and Court Sports: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Best Evidence Synthesis	22
Sex Bias in Cohorts Included in Sports Medicine Research	22
Effects of Resistance Training to Muscle Failure on Acute Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	21
Heading in Football: Incidence, Biomechanical Characteristics and the Association with Acute Cognitive Function—A Three-Part Systematic Review	21
The Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Related Public-Health Measures on Training Behaviours of Individuals Previously Participating in Resistance Training: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study	21
Implementing ACL Injury Prevention in Daily Sports Practice—It’s Not Just the Program: Let’s Build Together, Involve the Context, and Improve the Content	21
The Effects of Trunk Muscle Training on Physical Fitness and Sport-Specific Performance in Young and Adult Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	21
Association of Cycling with Risk of All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies	21
Impact of Cold-Water Immersion Compared with Passive Recovery Following a Single Bout of Strenuous Exercise on Athletic Performance in Physically Active Participants: A Systematic Review with Meta-ana	20
The Impacts of Sports Schools on Holistic Athlete Development: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review	20
Physical Demands of Tennis Across the Different Court Surfaces, Performance Levels and Sexes: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	20
ICON 2020—International Scientific Tendinopathy Symposium Consensus: A Systematic Review of Outcome Measures Reported in Clinical Trials of Achilles Tendinopathy	20
Periodization: Variation in the Definition and Discrepancies in Study Design	20
Performance Adaptations to Intensified Training in Top-Level Football	20
The Effect of Resistance Training on Body Composition During and After Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	20
The Association Between Poor Sleep and the Incidence of Sport and Physical Training-Related Injuries in Adult Athletic Populations: A Systematic Review	20
Factors Influencing Substrate Oxidation During Submaximal Cycling: A Modelling Analysis	20
The Hydrating Effects of Hypertonic, Isotonic and Hypotonic Sports Drinks and Waters on Central Hydration During Continuous Exercise: A Systematic Meta-Analysis and Perspective	20
The Effects of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	19
Hamstrings Muscle Morphology After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	19
Rehabilitative Exercise Training for Burn Injury	19
Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	19
The Athlete Gut Microbiome and its Relevance to Health and Performance: A Review	19
The Effect of the FIFA 11 + with Added Neck Exercises on Maximal Isometric Neck Strength and Peak Head Impact Magnitude During Heading: A Pilot Study	19
Injury-Inciting Activities in Male and Female Football Players: A Systematic Review	19
The Use of Ratings of Perceived Exertion in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review	19
Exploring Differences in Cardiorespiratory Fitness Response Rates Across Varying Doses of Exercise Training: A Retrospective Analysis of Eight Randomized Controlled Trials	19
Return to Play After a Hamstring Strain Injury: It is Time to Consider Natural Healing	19